New Executive Order Raises Alarm for Communities Still Healing from Police Violence

As we approach the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, a new executive order aimed at boosting law enforcement resources is stirring deep concern among communities that experienced the consequences of over-policing and the lack of accountability in law enforcement.

The executive order, titled “Strengthening and Unleashing America's Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens,” calls for:

• Expanded federal support of local law enforcement through increased military equipment transfers, federally funded training programs

• Legal protections for officers accused of misconduct, and enhanced penalties for interference with police work. 

• Directs the U.S. Attorney General to investigate and potentially prosecute local officials who are perceived to be obstructing law enforcement operations.

“Trump has always asserted himself on the side of law enforcement, and has demonstrated no interest in police accountability or reform to address things. It's fundamentally a very clear attack on any kind of local control over policing,” said Jess Sundin, organizer with the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice and a leader in the push for a Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC).

This executive order emphasizes reducing crime by empowering – or as the title puts it, “unleashing” – police agencies. In the Twin Cities, we’ve seen unchecked police utilize more aggressive policing tactics and increased racial profiling when dealing with the community.

“Our view is that the existing system is already not democratic enough and taking that power out of the hands of not only local government, but even county and state government and putting it so much power to the hands of the federal government takes it much further from the rights of community members to say how our communities are patrolled.” 

Community oversight of policing

CPAC is a grassroots campaign to establish a democratically elected civilian oversight body with authority over police discipline, policy, and budgeting. “Minneapolis was the site that sparked a historic global movement against racist policing, and we have a responsibility to make moves and address some of the problems that the whole world knows we have,” Jess said.

She fears the executive order’s provisions will exacerbate existing problems in Minneapolis, where public trust in law enforcement remains fragile five years after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. 

Of particular concern to Jess is the order’s provision pledging federal legal defense for police officers accused of misconduct.

“The idea that the federal government would pay for the legal defense of accused criminals, whether they're police or not is wild,” said Jess. “The nearly limitless resources of the federal government means that it would be nearly impossible to proceed with the prosecution, even in the most egregious cases. It's hard to imagine that the state of Minnesota could have had enough resources to overcome a federal defense for Derek Chauvin and his accomplices in the murder of George Floyd.”

The order also calls for increased involvement of the Department of Defense in training police forces and deploying military assets to local agencies. 

“The order literally directs the Secretary of Defense to make military assets available to local police departments, to have federal agents and a military involved in training local police departments – and we're absolutely against militarization of police in our communities,” Jess said. “The order also includes measures directing Trump’s  attorney general to prosecute local officials like the recent arrest of a judge in Milwaukee by the FBI. We don't want to see federal agents arresting our local officials that we've chosen to represent us for implementing the public safety that we want in our communities. 

The CPAC campaign is expected to continue petitioning through the summer, hoping to bring their proposal to a vote in the upcoming election in Minneapolis. Whether or not they succeed may serve as a bellwether for how communities across the country respond to Washington’s widening role in local policing.

Minneapolis for Community Control of Police is a growing of organizations and Minneapolis residents, working together to amend the city charter to establish an elected Civilian Police Accountability Commission (CPAC).